The differentiation of bone and liver isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase on the basis of their stability: A report on experimental work submitted in part requirement for the degree of B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry in the University of Canterbury

Abstract

The determination of serum alkaline phosphatase is a common enzymological test employed in clinical diagnosis; the level being markedly raised in a number of diseases. Most of the serum alkaline phosphatase is from two main sources, liver and bone, and it would be of assistance in diagnosis if the main source of an elevated serum level was known. Various methods have been tried to differentiate the bone and liver isoenzymes but to date no method can give unequivocal results. In this project the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes was studied in the .presence of 20% isopropanol solution. While it was observed that the bone isoenzyme is less stable than the liver isoenzyme to isopropanol, there was sufficient overlap in the stabilities of the two isoenzymes, as determined by this method, to prevent the determination of the source of an elevated serum alkaline phosphatase in all cases.